Move over Ben Bernake, Mark Zuckerberg is Time Magazine’s 2010 Person of the Year. The 26-year-old Facebook founder is the second youngest person to win that title–the youngest was Charles Lindbergh, who at 25 was the first person to win the distinction, back when it was called “Man of the Year.” (It became “Person” back in 1999.)
“[Facebook is] something that is transforming the way we live our lives every day,” The magazine’s managing editor said of the pick. “It’s social engineering, changing the way we relate to each other.”
[RELATED_ARTICLE]It’s been a packed year for Zuckeberg, of course–Facebook passed 500 million users (nearly 1/10th of the planet), a fairly unflattering movie was made about his life (which was just nominated for six Golden Globes, incidentally), and he donated a bunch of money to charity.
“Zuckerberg is a warm presence, not a cold one,” Time says in the writeup. “He has a quick smile and doesn’t shy away from eye contact. He thinks fast and talks fast, but he wants you to keep up. He exudes not anger or social anxiety but a weird calm. When you talk to his co-workers, they’re so adamant in their avowals of affection for him and their insistence that you not misconstrue his oddness that you get the impression it’s not just because they want to keep their jobs. People really like him.”
The Tea Party nabbed the runner up position, with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange taking the third spot. Hamid Karzai and The Chilean Miners rounded out the top, with Steve Jobs also grabbing an honorable mention.
Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.